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The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office recently banned Noh Young-min ― who served as presidential chief of staff to then President Moon Jae-in from 2019 to 2020 ― from leaving South Korea. Korea Times file

Prosecutors have imposed an overseas travel ban on a former presidential chief of staff for alleged involvement in a hiring scandal, sources said Sunday.

The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office recently banned Noh Young-min ― who served as presidential chief of staff to then President Moon Jae-in from 2019 to 2020 ― from leaving South Korea, they said.

Noh is under suspicion of pressuring Korea Integrated Freight Terminal Co. to hire Lee Jung-geun, a former deputy secretary general of the then ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), as a full-time adviser.

Although the terminal operator is wholly owned by CJ Logistics, the company runs business at the land owned by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. It has been customary for the ministry to recommend the advisory post.

Lee, who made an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the National Assembly in April 2020, became the full-time adviser for Korea Integrated Freight Terminal in August that year after being recommended to the lucrative post by the land ministry. She received about 100 million won (US$76,900) for a one-year job.

Prosecutors suspect that Noh played a role in the hiring process.

Separately, Noh is also under prosecution investigation over the 2019 repatriation of two North Korean fishermen against their will. (Yonhap)